According to a report from BuzzFeed News, Family Tree DNA, which allows customers to trace their ancestry and locate relatives, has been sharing their database with the FBI to solve criminal cases.
While federal and local law enforcement have used genealogy databases for a couple of years, including to find the suspected Golden Gate Killer, Family Tree DNA's agreement with the FBI marks the first time a private firm has willingly allowed such. Law enforcement officials are hopeful that the information will allow for cold cases to be solved after gaining access to more than 1 million DNA profiles.
Bennett Greenspan, president and founder of Family Tree DNA's parent company, Gene by Gene, addressed claims that they are violating their terms of privacy to its customers.
"We came to the conclusion that if law enforcement created accounts, with the same level of access to the database as the standard FamilyTreeDNA user, they would not be violating user privacy and confidentiality."
He added, "Working with law enforcement to process DNA samples from the scene of a violent crime or identifying an unknown victim does not change our policy never to sell or barter our customers’ private information with a third party. Our policy remains fully intact and in force."
Source: Buzzfeed News
